"What was that earlier…"
"Well, yes, the Eternals… didn't they say they were awakening some mutant monsters?"
"I'll just think about it, take Wanda out to the field and really fight."
"After all, theory needs to be combined with practice."
...
"No!"
"That's impossible!"
"How could I even find the Book of Darkhold!"
"Ancient One, everything you taught me I took seriously."
"I don't believe you asked Wanda!"
...
Inside the New York Temple.
After hearing Aron's words, the Ancient One's gaze fell on Wanda.
"Well… what Aron said is true," Wanda admitted quietly, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
The whole time she kept her head down, not daring to meet the Ancient One's eyes.
On the other hand, Aron's face was completely calm, without a trace of unease, as if he had done nothing wrong and had nothing to fear.
"..."
The Ancient One clenched her teeth.
So now he even lies, and doesn't even blush.
Aron didn't have the ability to read minds and didn't know what the Ancient One was thinking.
If he knew, he would only say one thing: "Are you kidding? When have I ever blushed?"
Professionalism was his second nature.
It was his job.
"Fine," said the Ancient One at last, nodding.
She hid her anger, replacing it with a dangerously calm smile: "You know, this time I met Atrez."
"She has already forgiven the person who broke the dimensional barrier, and that's you."
"Atrez also said…"
"She wants to meet you and learn how you summoned visitors from another world," the Ancient One finished, looking at Aron with a smile.
She even emphasized how sweet and innocent Atrez looked.
"..."
"Ancient One, how am I supposed to know that what you said is even true?" Aron asked suspiciously.
The more he listened, the more suspicious it sounded.
Especially the Ancient One's smile reminded him of the one she would have when she successfully tricked a demon.
Something was wrong here!
This can't be true!
Aron resolutely dismissed all of the Ancient One's words from his mind, in one ear and out the other, he had no intention of believing a single one.
"Aaah!!"
"You little thief!!"
"Annoying old…!"
The last word the furious old woman kept to herself.
The Ancient One had already realized, this kid could fool others, but he couldn't be fooled.
He was too cunning!
But luckily, the Ancient One had other methods. If she couldn't outwit him with words, she had only one way left.
"Boy, don't run! Stop right there!"
Soon the New York Temple once again became the scene of chaos, like a courtyard where chickens and dogs were jumping.
The scene was a complete mess.
...
A moment later.
The chaos in the Temple finally subsided.
The Ancient One sat across from Aron and relayed to him the news from her recent journey through the universes.
"What?"
When he heard that Thanos might have traveled to other universes, Aron was momentarily confused.
"And he didn't go to a parallel universe like we did, but to…"
The Ancient One paused, remembering the warning that Atrez had given her. She looked at Aron sharply, with a slightly accusatory gaze.
"What did I do now?" Aron asked, raising his eyebrows.
"I'm asking you, what's with that Morning Star… Lucifer? And Skynet? What kind of Cthulhu?"
"From which world, for heaven's sake, did you summon all those strange and dangerous things?"
The Ancient One listed the names she had heard from Atrez, one by one, and her tone grew sharper.
Honestly, if it weren't for Atrez, the Ancient One would never have suspected the scale of Aron's actions. Until now she believed that Aron was summoning demons and beings from other dimensions or perhaps from parallel Marvel universes.
Who would have expected that this brazen child would reach for beings from completely different realities and worldviews!
"Wait… Atrez knows about all this?" Aron looked genuinely surprised, but then something clicked for him.
"You're not going to tell me that Thanos ended up in the world where those beings exist?"
When he said that, he caught the Ancient One's gaze and from the expression on her face immediately realized that he was right.
"I rely on… Of all places, there!"
"If that purple potato ended up in some world with supercomputer intelligences like Skynet or the Matrix, that's not such a big problem," Aron muttered. "But if he wandered into a world ruled by Cthulhu's creatures…"
"You little… you got yourself into this mess, you'll get yourself out of it," the Ancient One said coldly.
"It's estimated that there won't be a shortage of such problems in the future. Atrez said she can only reduce the collisions between parallel universes like ours. But this… this thing you summoned, even she cannot stop."
Aron sighed but didn't look particularly surprised.
After all, summoning beings from other concepts of existence had been his choice. He couldn't expect others to save him from the problems he had created himself.
Still, he tried to calm himself: "Well, the sky is falling… and there are higher ones than me to hold it up."
He paused, looked up, and added: "Wait, it seems that I'm the higher one now."
...
Meanwhile, far beyond Earth.
In the endless darkness of space, a massive stellar fleet was jumping from one point to another, using star-space leaps. Eventually, it arrived at the edge of the Solar System.
"Is that… Earth?"
Inside the largest warship, Corvus Glaive stood by the window, gazing at the blue-green dot in the distance, the size of a grain of rice. His eyes were filled with nothing but contempt.
"Such an insignificant planet…" he muttered. "And that Asgardian who led the Chitauri army actually managed to lose here!"
The Asgardian he was referring to was, of course, Loki, whose attempt to conquer Earth ended in defeat in the Battle of New York.
In Corvus's opinion, that Chitauri army, entrusted to Loki's command, had been misused. How was it possible to lose against a single world like Earth?
"Order!" Corvus Glaive shouted.
"Form the battle line!"
"Our goal is simple: annihilate all life on this planet!"
At those words, the massive fleet began to take positions.
Among them, the burly Black Dwarf spoke up, clearly puzzled:
"Wait, wasn't it the rule set by Lord Thanos to always eliminate only half the population? Why is there no mercy this time?"
Corvus slowly turned toward him, his gaze cold, his voice deep and sharp:
"Because now I command!"
Black Dwarf fell silent, realizing he had crossed the line.
But Ebony Maw, known for his cunning and scheming, saw an opportunity to sow the seeds of doubt.
"Thanos has been missing for a long time," he said smoothly, his voice full of ambiguity. "He hasn't sent a single message, not a single sign. Doesn't that worry you?"
His words weren't open rebellion, but they were calculated enough to stir ambition in others.
Corvus Glaive had no intention of letting the situation slip out of control.
"Shut up, Ebony Maw!" he thundered, his eyes flashing coldly.
"Thanos is invincible! And besides, he still possesses the blessing of the Power Stone. No matter where he is now, I am sure that at this very moment he is sowing death across the universe!"
Ebony Maw merely smiled, saying nothing, but a spark of thought flashed in his eyes — the struggle for power was just beginning.
...
Somewhere far away, in the dark depths of the DC universe.
In the darkness of the underworld, a piercing roar erupted, deep and wrathful.
"You dared to imprison me!"
"You will pay for this!"